


Achates

by microwaveslayer



Series: Adventures in Aesthetics [3]
Category: Star Control
Genre: Asexual Character, Everyone gets a painful backstory, M/M, VUX sociology, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2015-06-26
Packaged: 2018-04-06 05:14:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4209282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/microwaveslayer/pseuds/microwaveslayer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>DAX, unsure of the human Captain's intentions or the nature of the affection, Admiral ZEX lavishes on him, sits down with the human to educate him on some aspects of VUX culture.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Achates

Captain Wilde smiled for a moment at Admiral ZEX. The VUX held so still when he slept and only the rise and fall of his torso was lively. Captain Wilde pressed his lips to the ridge of tendrils, which squirmed faintly at the contact, entwining with Captain Wilde's dreadlocks.  
Captain Wilde got up, careful not to disturb the VUX as he collected his clothes and began dressing. Once his suit was zipped up just enough, he left the room.  
“Captain Wilde.”  
He turned his head and found the other VUX, Sub-commander DAX, glaring at him.  
“Do we have things to discuss?” Captain Wilde asked, smiling.  
“I suppose you could call it that,” DAX said, snorting.  
Wilde followed the VUX down the hall and into a little nook. DAX poured two cups of tea, one cup pushed into Wilde's cold hands. DAX gestured to the sofa and Wilde sat, simply holding the cup in his hands and warming up. DAX sat across from him and watcehd for a moment.  
“I don't suppose you're familiar with VUX culture,” DAX mused, blinking.  
“No,” Captain Wilde admitted. “Just the vanity bits.”  
DAX made a noise like a snort and dipped his tongue into the tea. His head tendrils twisted together and he closed his eye.  
“We can be vain, I suppose,” DAX agreed, staring at the human again. “But vanity and hubris have a cost.”  
“Icarus and all that,” Wilde offered.  
DAX stared, seeming confused. “There are other forms of intimacy, you know.”  
“Yeah,” Wilde agreed, shifting to tuck one leg under himself. “Sex is just quicker.”  
DAX sighed and scolded, “You shouldn't be so quick to jump into a person's bed. You're just like him, you know.”  
Wilde shrugged. “'s how we get along.”  
“Getting along won't do when the VUX High Council gets word of this whole . . . affair.”  
“Are you turning us in?”  
DAX stared at the human for a while. Then he leaned in and told him, “While a majority of us are loyal to the good Admiral, there are those VUX who would love to see him get his punishment. His retirement was in hopes of repenting. Now . . .”  
“Now they're out for blood,” Wilde finished.  
“They will be.” DAX dipped his tongue into the tea, sipping it. “There's been three arguments, two duels, five maimings. Our small fleet cannot survive so much dissent.”  
“So weed them out,” Wilde said, shrugging. He sipped his tea and added, “Single out the rebels and let ZEX deal with them.”  
“More blood, Captain, is not the answer.”  
Wilde raised a brow.  
DAX sighed and asked, “Do you know why he was given a fleet?”  
Wilde shook his head. He set the teacup down, one hand twirling a lock of hair between his fingers.  
“I . . . belong to another caste of so-called perversions.”  
“Like . . . being gay?” Wilde asked.  
“Of course not,” DAX huffed. “I'm asexual.”  
“Oh.”  
“I spent years trying to hide it,” DAX admitted, sipping their tea. “It was . . . painful. When I met ZEX, he gave me support and I supported him.”  
“That's . . .” Wilde began, tilting his head. “It's touching.”  
“Then you understand my determination to keep him safe and ensure this affair is kept quiet without bloodshed.”  
Wilde nodded.  
DAX sighed. “Then go to your crew and explain the situation with tact. While I might not understand, ZEX trusts you. I might not understand his judgement, but I respect it.”  
Wilde stood up, smiling. Before DAX could protest, Wilde took one of his arms, shaking it. DAX stared up at him, confused.  
“You're a great First Mate,” Wilde told him.  
DAX sighed. “Arbitrary human titles.”  
Wilde chuckled and promised him, “I'll deal with my crew and send my Lieutenant over.”  
“The mute boy?”  
Wilde nodded.  
DAX sighed, closing his eye and raising an arm to massage his forehead. “He's so hyperactive it might be more babysitting than not.”  
Wilde chuckled and said, “All the more reason.”  
DAX sighed as Wilde walked off, ready to assume his role as Captain and control his crew's behaviour.

* * *

“What's the matter with the Utwig?' Captain Wilde asked.  
The Supox bowed their head slightly in embarassment. “They have broken their Ultron. It was sold to them by the greedy Druuge. Perhaps you can help them.”  
“I'll get my best me on it,” Captain Wilde promised the Supox, smiling.  
“Oh, thank you wonderful human,” the Supox gushed. “We will sing praises about you to all the flowering generations!”  
The call ended and the crew let out a collective sigh.  
“If I 'd known you would be this diplomatic,” First Mate Potst grunted, “I might've never joined.”  
Captain Wilde raised a brow at the Thraddash hovering on his right. First mate Potst shrugged and puffed on his cigar.  
“I just don't think it's right to go rolling around in the hay with every green thing that passes our ship,” First Mate Potst muttered.  
Captain Wilde raised a brow at the Thraddash and First Mate Potst snorted, crossing his blue-green arms. The human captain asked, “Would you prefer to kill everything and die young.”  
“Rather that then arthritis.”  
Captain Wilde smiled a bit and turned to the navigators. “To the coordinates the Melnorme gave us.”  
“Yes, sir.”  
“You've got a call, sir,” Hailey sighed.  
“Admiral ZEX?”  
“Yes, sir,” she replied.  
“I'll go visit him, then.” Captain Wilde stood up from his chair, stretching. “First Mate Potst.”  
The Thraddash nodded.  
“Sir.”  
Captain Wilde turned and stared at Hailey.  
“Just . . . I hope your diplomatics work, sir,” Hailey said, not looking up from her console.  
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Captain Wilde told her with a smile. He turned and left the bridge, letting his crew run things.

* * *

ZEX beamed at the human, resting his head on Wilde's chest.  
“Gregory?”  
Wilde hummed, watching the VUX's tendrils twist and twine around his fingers.  
“Are humans still bitter?” ZEX asked, blinking.  
Wilde raised a brow. “Bitter about what?”  
“The War.”  
“Oh,” Wilde said softly. “I suppose so.”  
ZEX's tendrils tightened their hold on Wilde's hand. The VUX seemed to tremble ever so slightly.  
“We're going to have to stop by Earth's station, drop off some minerals, re-fuel,” Wilde said, shrugging.  
ZEX asked, “Do you think they'll shoot on sight?”  
Wilde laughed, rubbing the VUX's shoulder. When he looked into the VUX's eye, he stopped and pressed his lips to the other's forehead.  
“No,” Wilde told him softly. “ZEX, I'll make sure they don't shoot. I don't even think they have weapons.”  
ZEX nodded, tongue flicking over Wilde's neck. He murmured, “Thank you.”  
Wilde shrugged. “I don't like it when people I end up in bed with die, especially if it's my fault.”  
“You sound like you've been through it before.”  
“I'll tell you about it, maybe,” Wilde told him.  
“Now?”  
“Nah. I've got to get back to my crew and deal with the Utwig.”  
“Ugh!” ZEX cringed, sitting bolt upright and smoothing out his uniform. “The Utwig, of all things!”  
“Something wrong?” Wilde asked, smiling a bit.  
“Everything about the Utwig is wrong!” ZEX huffed. “One should be able to see the bliss on their partner's face!”  
“You've rolled around with an Utwig?” Wilde asked, morbidly fascinated.  
“I'll tell you about it, maybe,” ZEX repeated, crossing his arms.  
Wilde chuckled. “Point taken. We'll exchange painful histories later.”  
“There's nothing too painful about the Utwig,” ZEX pointed out. “A shame, really.”  
Wilde chuckled, pressing his lips to the base of the VUX's snout, just below the eye, before getting up and out of bed. He made his way down the hall, receiving a stare from DAX.  
“I'll make sure all my fleet is safe in human ports,” Captain Wilde told DAX.  
“Good man,” DAX replied. “I'd have to strangle you if anything happened to the good admiral.”


End file.
